Locomotive stoker



Sept. 18, 1928. 1,684,874 N. M. LOWER I LGGOMOTIVE swoxmn Filed June 11,. 1926 Patented Sept. 18, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF 1,684,874 I C E warm 1:.

LOWER, OE PITTSBUBGIL PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO LOCOMOTIVE STORED COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

LOCOMOTIVE STOKER.

"Application filed June 11,

- tender to the locomotive and delivered to the bottom of a riser or distributor nozzle, through which it is forced bythe pressure of the transferring mechanismhoused within the conduit; its principal object being to increase the efficiency of such devices.

Whilev the distinctive feature of the in-' vention is applicable to various forms of construction, it is illustrated in connection with a stoker in which the distributor nozzle or riser extends through the grate and is located adjacent to the backhead of the boiler. "ll'n the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a detail central vertical section through the rear end/0f a locomotive and its fire-box; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail on the l1ne.2-2

of Fig. 1.

The backhead of the locomotive boiler 1S represented at" 10, and is provided with the usual hand firing door opening 11' and constitutes the rear wall of the fire-box 12, the grates of which are indicated at 13. The deck or floor of the cab of the locomotive is shown at 14, and a portion of the locomotive frame at 15.

The forward end of the transfer conduit is shown at 16, and is of the type which is jointed to a. rearward section (not shown) which projects under the fuel bin of the tender. Within the conduit 16 there is housed fuel advancing means, here shown in the form of a screw 17, which will be driven by any suitable means, there being shown for this purpose a motor 18 which is mounted upon the engine frame, as indicated at 19. The forward end of the shaft for driving the screw 17 is shown at 20, and is actuated by the motor through suitable gears housed within a casing 21.

The forward end of the conduit 16 is attached and delivers to a tubular element 22,

' hereinafter called a riser, thru which it is lifted to a point of distribution above the intended level of the bed of fuel maintained on the grate. This riser is secured to the engine frame, as by means of a bracket 23. In the construction illustrated the conduit 16 is attached to the riser 22 by means of a ball joint 24.

In stokers of this general type difiiculty has been encountered in forcing the fuel 1926. Serial No. 115,177.

through the riser, this difficulty being due in part to tendency of the fuel to rotate by reason of the fact that the transferring screw delivers with greater force at one side than at the other. Such rotation of the fuel in the riser is further'objectionable for the reason that it absorbs much of the power and has a tendency to pulverize the fuel.

This difficulty is overcome in the present stoker by giving the riser an angular form in cross section. While various forms may be followed it is believed that a rectangular form is preferable. The riser is shown as being approximately square in cross section (F 1g. 2). It is also preferably somewhat flaring from below upwardly.

As an additional means for preventing I the impacting of the fuel within the base of the riser, there is provided a reciprocating lifter operating within its rearward end. As illustrated this lifter takes the form of an oscillating plate 25, which forms the closure for the bottom of the riser and is pivoted near the rearward side thereof. A skirt 26 depends from the free endof the plate 25 to prevent coal from dropping past it when in its upper position.

The lifter 25 is fixed upon a rocker shaft 27 having a crank arm 28, which is connected by means of a link 29 with a crank arm 30 pro ecting from a gear casing 31 of the motor 18, suitablegears (not shown),

housed within the casing, being provided for turning the shaft of the crank 30 at proper speed.

As the fuel is delivered into the riser 22 from the conduit 16 it is forced upwardly by the pressure of the screw 17.. Impacting in the ase of the riser is prevented by the upward movement of the lifter 25, and impacting above the base is prevented by the angular form of the riser.

The riser extends above the intended level of the fuel bed upon the grate, and at: the fuel issues from its upper end it is scattered over the grate by means of steam jets issuing from the nozzle 32, to which steam is led, as by the pipe 33, from any suitable source of supply,

I claim as my invention- 1. A stoker for locomotives comprising a transfer conduit and a riser angular in cross-section receiving and leading upwardly from the conduit, means within the conduit forapplying pressureio the fuel within the riser, and a swinging fuel lifter at the lower end of the riser.

2. A locomotive stoker comprising a tube, angular in cross-section, for conducting fuel upwardly to a point of distribution, a plate plvotally mounted across the lower end of the tube, means for swinging the plate upwardly, a fuel conduit delivering lateral to the lower end of the tube, and means within the conduit for applying pressure to the fuel within the tube.

3. A locomotive stoker comprising a riser tube angular in cross-section projectin upwardly through the furnace grate 0% the locomotive, a fuel conduit delivering laterally to the lower end of the tube, means within the conduit for applying pressure to within the conduit for applying tube and acting on the fuel as 'it issues from the conduit.

4. A locomotive ,stoker comprising a riser tube angular in cro$-seetion projecting upwardly through the furnace grate of the locomotive, a fuel conduit delivering laterally to the lower end of the tube, means the fuel within the tube, means or scattering fuel issuing from the tube, and a lifting plate pivoted within the tube adjacent to and below theend of the conduit.

In testimony whereof I afiixmy signature.

NATHAN M. LOWER.

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